Brooder-hover.



No. 825,698. PATENTED JULY 10, 1906. H. H. BLACKMAN.

BROODER HOVER.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. s. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 rue NORRIS PETERS co., WASHINGTON, o. c

PATENTED JULY 10, 1906. H. H. BLAGKMAN.

BROODER HOVER.

APPLICATION FILED-1330.8. 1905.

2 SHBETS-SHEBT 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIon.

HARVEY H. BLAGKMAN, OF ITHACA. NEW YORK,.ASS1GNOR TO THE CORNELL INCUBATOR MFG. (30., OF ITHACA, NEW YORK, A COR- PORATION NEl/V YORK.

BROODER-HOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jury 10,1906;

Application filed December 8, 1905. Serial No. 290,888.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARVEY H. BLAOKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brooder-Hovers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in brooder-hovers, and more particularly to that type of construction in which by the arrangement of the various heating chambers and areas the fresh air admitted into the hover is compelled to travel in a circuitouspath, thereby insuring a free circulation of heated air.

The invention is especially designed as an f improvement upon that class of brooderhovers in which the hover is stationary and the temperature of the air therein is controlled by a rotatable valve mounted upon the top thereof. The present invention aims todispense with this valve and to provide means for raising and lowering the hover with relation to the heating-chambers 1nclosed thereby. This function of raising 5 and lowering the hover aims, primarily, to-

ward the provision of a brooder-ceiling of changeable height which may be regulated in accordance with the growth of the young fowls, and, secondarily, as a temperatureregulating means. In the first consideration, it is to be noted that in brooders as ordinarily employed, wherein the ceiling is stationary, if said ceiling be too low the fowls will be cramped and will contract diseases resulting therefrom, the most common example due to such causes being curvature of the bones. It will be readily apparent, therefore, that in the provision of a ceiling of adjustable height which may be regulated in accordance with the various stages of growth of the young fowls the dangers of disease due to the causes above noted will be entirely eliminated. In the second consideration, owing to the arrangement of the various heating-chambers and circulatory passages, the temperature may be regulated by raising or lowering the hover. This is a secondary object, however, and toward a more effective temperature regulation I have provided auxiliary and automatic valves arranged upon the hover and i designed when 0 en to permit the egress of the heated air Wit the hover until the temperature shall drop to its normal predetermined degree.

The detailed construction will-appear in l the course of the following diescriptiomin which reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, j like numerals indicating like parts through out the several views, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the hover. Fig. 2 is a top plan view showing the inside arrangement of the space inclosed by the hover, the hover itself being removed. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, partly broken I away, of the hover. Fi 4 is a top lan= view 5 thereof. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal: section l through the hover, showing. a modified form of construction; and Fig. 6- IS a detail perspec- 5 tive view of an element employed in said modi' i fiedconstructio'n.

In the practical embodiment ofrny invem tion and in the preferred form of construction I shown in Figs. 1 to 4, l designates the floor of the brooder, which is arranged above the dia phragm 2, suspended therefrom by suitable 3, which projects into an opening4-of suitable contour inthe floor 1. The arrangement 1 of the diaphragm 2 with relation to the floor 1 is such that a space 5 is left on all sides, through which fresh air is admitted into the hover. A drum 6 rests upon the floor 11 by virtue of an integral flange 7 at the base thereof, through which the securing means, 1 such as screws or .thelike, extend. Said drum performs the function of a chimney in directing the travel of the currents of heated air as they pass therethrough and is prefer- I ably shown in the contour of the frustum-of a cone. Mounted upon the outside-o-f-the drum 6 and disposed in concentric relation thereto isv a collar 8, which serves the dual function of a reinforcing means for'said' drum and of a means for the support of a truss 9', which is employed to brace the entire struc-- ture and to support elements hereinafter described. The truss 9 is transversely disposed with relation to said drum and collar and is of approximate U shape, being formed .at the termination of its legs with aperfo- F supports, and provided with aheatingadome rated transversely-disposed girder 9. Said truss is secured to integral ears 10, formed upon the drum 6 at the upper edge thereof and at opposite points, as at 11, of the inner surface of the collar 8. The truss 9 is formed with a. central valley which is provided with a recess or indentation 12 to receive the pointed end 13 of a rod 14, formed with a threaded upper portion 15 and carrying at its upper end a crank-handle 16. The rod 14 passes loosely through the girder 9 of the truss 9 and the top 17 of the hover and is threaded into a block 18, secured to said top 17 by any desirable means, such as screws 19. The hover itself comprises the top 17, as above pointed out, said top being preferably of circular contour, so as to afford an evenheat-retaining area throughout the hover. The sides of the hover are formed of a depending sheet 20 of felt or other suitable heat-retaining textile material, which is secured to the edges of the top 17 the sheet 20 being formed with vertically-disposed furcations 21, which afford depending strips 22 along the entire length of said sheet 20. The strips 22, separated from one another by the furcations21, permit of easy passage of the young fowls within and without the hover. A depending band 23 is secured to the underneath surface of the top 17 by virtue of suitable means passing through an angular integral flange 24. Said band 23 is disposed in exterior concentric relation to the collar 8 and is provided adjacent the upper portion thereof with one or more horizontal series of apertures 25, through which the heated air passes into the space 26 of the hover that is inclosed by the flexible sheet 20. The apertures permit of the passage of the heated air from the area within the confines of the collar 8 into the outer space within the confines of the sides 20 of the hover and are always open in order to allow of a perfectly free circulation of heat. The band 23 is somewhat larger than the collar 8, so that an annular space will be provided between the band and the collar, this space serving to as- Y hover.

sist in producing and maintaining the desired circulation of air in the apparatus, air from outside the collar 8 being drawn up through the space between the collar and the band 23 by the suction created by the hot air which ascends within the band and passes out through apertures 25. To obtain a more perfect degree of temperature regulation, I have provided openings 27 in the top of the For the sake of convenience of illustration I have shown two such openings, although this is but an arbitrary number. One of said openings 27 is designed to be closed by a manually operated slide -valve 28, which moves in a retaining guide-plate 29, and the other of said openings is designed to be'closed by a valve. 30 of conventional form,

which is operated by a thermostatic bar' 31 having connection with said valve at its one end and at its other end being rigidly secured to the underneath surface of the top 17, as at 32. In order that the degree of temperature Within the hover may be instantly ascertained, I have arranged a thermometer 33 in a suitable opening therefor in the top 17.

In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 5 the drum 6, collar 8, truss 9, and top 17 of the hover with the elements related thereto remain unchanged; but the threaded rod which passes through the girder 9 and top 17 differs in construction, said rod being stationary, whereas as shown in Fig. 1 it is rotatable. To distinguish from the rod 14, (shown in Fig. 1,) I designate the rod shown in Figs. 5 and 6 by the numeral 34. Said rod is constituted with an upper threaded portion 35, a plain lower portion 36 of rectangular crosssectional contour, and at its upper end a head 37 The squared portion 36 is designed to pass through the girder 9 and to rest in the valley 12 of the truss 9.

In operation the lamp, which is the positive source of heat-supply for the interior of the hover, is disposed directly beneath the heating-dome 3 of the diaphragm 2. Fresh air is admitted from beneath the floor 1 of the brooder by way of the passages 5 between said floor and diaphragm 2, the air passing thence into the area inclosed by the drum 6, circulating about said drum, and finally passing into the space 26. The direction of travel of the heated air in its circulatory passage is shown by the arrows in Fig. 1, and the temperature Within the space 26 is primarily regulated by the valves 28 and 30.

The valve 30 is designed to be adjustable and to be opened by the bar 31 at a predetermined degree of temperature, as indicated upon the thermometer 33.

In raising poultry it is a desideratum that the temperature of the brooder be regulated in accordance with the age of the young fowls. This general temperature regulation may also be accomplished by raising and lowering the top 17. When the top 17 is in its lowermost position, the heat generated will be most intense and will be more effectively retained by the sheet. As the fowls grow older the necessity for a high degree of temperature becomes less, and at the same time the necessity for a greater distancebetween the floor and the ceiling of the brooder increases to compensate for the height of the fowls. In order to bring about these conditions, the top 17 of the hover is raised, thereby decreasing the intensity of the heat, as well as its retention within the space 26 bythe sheet 20, since when said sheet is raised from the floor 1 an open space is afforded in communication with the exterior of the hover.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the top 17 is raised and lowered by rotating the rod 14 with the crank-handle 16, said rod 14, with its threaded portion 15, serving to feed the top 17 up or down, as the case may be, owing to the engagement of the threaded portion 15 with the threaded opening in the block 18. The rod 14 is free to revolve in the recess 12 in the truss 9 by means of its pointed end 13, which serves as a cone-bearing in said recess. In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the perforation in the girder 9 is of squared contour, so as to maintain the rod 34 against rotation. The top 17 is rotated upon the threaded portion 35 and is thus fed in either direction when it is necessary to raise or lower the same. In both constructions the truss 9, with the girder 9, serves as an effective brace for the entire structure, and the said girder is an added means of retaining either of the rods 14 or 34 in an upright position, which rods, however, together with the hover 17, may easily be removed by lifting in a vertical direction the hover, together with its bar.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the crank 16 may be replaced by its mechanical equivalent, such as a wheel.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the.

means shown to prevent rotation of the bar 34 may be replaced by a permanent retaining means for said bar.

Having fully describedmy invention, I claim 1. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with a heat-radiating dome projecting into the floor of the brooder and spaced therefrom, a drum secured to said floor and inclosing said dome, a movable top, a band secured to said top and disposed in concentric relation to said drum and spaced apart from the drum, said band being formed with a series of openings therein, depending sides carried by said top, and means for moving said. top with relation to said floor and to said drum secured thereto.

2. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of the brooder and the heat radiating drum projecting thereinto, a drum secured to said floor and inclosing said dome, a truss carried by said drum, a movable top, a band depending from said top and disposed in concentric relation to said drum, said band being formed with a plurality of openings, depending side walls of flexible material carried by said top, and means supported from said truss for raising and lowering said top with relation to said floor and to said drum.

3. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of the brooder and the heat radiating dome projecting thereinto, a drum secured to said floor and inclosing said dome, a reinforcing-collar surrounding said drum, a truss having connec tion with said drum and said collar, a movable top, depending side walls carried by said top,

and means supported by said truss for raising and lowering said top with relation to said drum.

4. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of a brooder and a heat-radiatin dome projecting thereinto, a drum secure to said floor and inclosing said dome, a truss secured to said drum, a movable top, depending side walls carried by said top, and means supported from said truss for raising and lowering said top with relation to said floor and to said drum.

5. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of a brooder and a heat-radiating dome projecting thereinto, a drum secured to said floor, and inclosing said dome, a truss secured to said drum, a movable top, depending side walls carried by said top, a depending band carried by said top and arranged in concentric relation to said drum, said band being formed With a series of openings therein, and means supported by said truss for raising and lowering said top with relation to said floor and to said drum.

6. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of a brooder and a heat-radiating dome projecting thereinto, a. drum inclosing said dome, a truss secured to said drum, a movable top, depending side walls carried by said top, and a shaft provided with a threaded portion threaded into said top and seating in said truss.

7. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of the brooder and a heat-radiating dome projecting thereinto, a drum secured to said floor and inclosing said dome, a reinforcingcollar disposed in concentric relation to said dome, a truss having connection with said drum and said collar, a movable top, a band depending from said top and formed with a series of openings, depending side walls of flexible material carried by said top, a shaft formed with exterior threads passing through a threaded opening in said top, the end of said shaft being supported by said truss.

S. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of a brooder, and a heat-radiating dome projecting thereinto, a drum secured to said floor, a movable top, depending side walls carried by said top, a shaft formed with a threaded exterior passing through a threaded opening in said top, and a stationary bearing for said shaft.

9. A hover for brooders embodying in combination with the floor of a brooder and a heat-radiating dome projecting thereinto, a drum inclosing said dome, a truss secured to said drum, a movable top, depending side walls carried by said top, and a non-rota table shaft provided with a threaded portion passing through a threaded opening in said truss. top, and a retaining-seat for said shaft. 10 10. A hover for brooders embodying in In testimony whereof I affix my signature combination with the floor of a brooder, and in presence of two witnesses. at heating-dome projecting thereinto, a drum 1 HARVEY H. BLACKMAN.

threaded into said top and seated in said secured to said floor, a movable top, depend- Witnesses: ing side Walls carried by said top, a station- EDW. J. MONE, ary shaft formed with a threaded exterior T. K. BRYANT. 

